9/11 Memorial and World Trade Center

AIA CES: 2.0 LU | 2.0 HSW

Where: AIANY Tours

Meet at the southwest corner of Broadway and Vesey Street (by St. Paul’s Chapel).

Rebuilding the World Trade Center site in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks has been a daunting, contentious and dynamic process. Yet construction has moved forward. The 9/11 Memorial opened on the tenth anniversary of this tragic event and the 9/11 Museum opened May 2014. One World Trade Center is officially the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, and the site is home to a recently-opened transit hub.

This architectural walking tour offers participants an opportunity to experience the 9/11 Memorial and to see the current state of construction at the World Trade Center site. We discuss the highly publicized competitions for the site’s master plan and memorial. Delve into the design and development of each of the main structures, including the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, office towers, and transportation hub. Consider the influence and concerns of the different stakeholders by comparing the initial winning plans for rebuilding at Ground Zero to the final, much altered, designs that we see today.

We will also take a look back at the history of the original World Trade Center site and the transformation of Lower Manhattan after World War II. Compare Minoru Yamasaki’s 110-story Twin Towers, built on a 16-acre superblock, with current efforts to reconnect the new WTC to the street grid and surrounding neighborhoods. We will see how the current emphases on safety, security, and sustainability are a response to the design and engineering of the original complex, the 9/11 attacks, and a greater concern for ecologically-friendly architecture.

Tour Guide: Doug Fox conducts the architecturally-focused 9/11 Memorial and World Trade Center walking tours for AIA New York. For his other 9/11 Memorial and World Trade Center tours, please visit Doug’s World Trade Center Tour website.

Organized by: AIANY Architecture Tour Committee